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John Bercow

John Simon Bercow MP (/ˈbɜːkəʊ/; born 19 January 1963) is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons since June 2009. He concurrently serves as the Member of Parliament for Buckingham. Prior to his election to Speaker, he was a member of the Conservative Party. A former right-winger, he changed his views after becoming an MP and at one time was rumoured to be likely to defect to the Labour Party. Bercow's election to the Speaker's chair depended heavily on the backing of other parties, and was deeply unpopular with many of his former Conservative Party colleagues.

John Simon BercowMP (/ˈbɜːkəʊ/; born 19 January 1963) is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons since June 2009. He concurrently serves as the Member of Parliament for Buckingham. Prior to his election to Speaker, he was a member of the Conservative Party. A former right-winger, he changed his views after becoming an MP and at one time was rumoured to be likely to defect to the Labour Party. Bercow's election to the Speaker's chair depended heavily on the backing of other parties, and was deeply unpopular with many of his former Conservative Party colleagues.[2]

He served as a councillor from 1986 to 1990 and unsuccessfully contested parliamentary seats in the 1987 and 1992 general elections. In the 1997 general election, Bercow was elected the MP for Buckingham and promoted to the shadow cabinet in 2001. He held posts in the shadow cabinets of Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard. In November 2002, he resigned from the shadow cabinet over disputes concerning the Adoption and Children Act but returned under Howard in 2003. In September 2004, Bercow was sacked after disagreements with Howard.

In October 2009, Bercow chaired the United Kingdom Youth Parliament's first annual sitting in the House of Commons, making them the only group except Members of Parliament to sit in the chamber. He has chaired every subsequent sitting and attended every annual conference, addressing and supporting Members of Youth Parliament from across the UK. In 2014, Bercow was appointed Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire,[5] and in July 2017 he was appointed Chancellor of the University of Essex.[6] In October 2018, it was reported that Bercow intended to step down as Speaker in the summer of 2019, due to a report on the failure of high-level figures in Parliament to deal adequately with bullying of staff at Westminster and due to allegations of bullying made against him personally.[7]

As a young activist, Bercow was a member of the right-wing Conservative Monday Club. He stood as a candidate for the club's national executive in 1981 with a manifesto calling for a programme of "assisted repatriation" of immigrants, and became secretary of its immigration and repatriation committee.[14] However, at the age of 20 he left the club, citing the views of many of the club's members as his reason,[15] and has since then called his participation in the club "utter madness" and dismissed his views from that period as "bone headed".[14]

After a spell in merchant banking, Bercow joined the lobbying firm Rowland Sallingbury Casey (part of Saatchi & Saatchi) in 1988, becoming a board director within five years.

With fellow Conservative Julian Lewis, Bercow ran an advanced speaking and campaigning course for over 10 years, which trained over 600 Conservatives (including several current MPs) in campaigning and communication techniques. He has also lectured in the United States to students of the Leadership Institute.[17]

Special adviser

In 1995, Bercow was appointed as a special adviser to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Jonathan Aitken. After Aitken's resignation to fight a libel action, Bercow served as a special adviser to the Secretary of State for National Heritage, Virginia Bottomley.

Parliamentary career

Bercow was an unsuccessful Conservative candidate in the 1987 general election in Motherwell South, and again at the 1992 general election in Bristol South. In 1996 he paid £1,000 to charter a helicopter so that he could attend the selection meetings for two safe Conservative parliamentary seats on the same day – Buckingham and Surrey Heath – and was selected as the candidate for Buckingham. He has referred to the hiring of the helicopter as "the best £1,000 I have ever spent".[18]

Bercow rose quickly through the opposition's junior offices. He was appointed a frontbench spokesman for Education and Employment in June 1999, and then a frontbench spokesman for Home Affairs in July 2000, before being brought into the shadow cabinet in 2001 by the Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith. He served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury from September 2001 to July 2002, and as Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions from July to November 2002. During this first spell on the front benches, Bercow publicly said that he did not think he was ruthless enough to reach the top of politics.[19] In November 2002, when the Labour government introduced the Adoption and Children Act, which would allow unmarried gay and heterosexual couples to adopt children, Duncan Smith imposed a three-line whip requiring Conservative MPs to vote against the bill rather than allowing a free vote. In protest, Bercow defied the whips and voted with Labour arguing that it should be a free vote. He then resigned from the front bench.[20] As a backbencher he was openly critical of Duncan Smith's leadership.[citation needed]

Bercow won the Stonewall award for Politician of the Year in 2010 for his work to support equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.[27] He was given a score of 100% in favour of lesbian, gay and bisexual equality by Stonewall.[28]

Opposition MP of the Year

In 2005, Bercow won the Channel Four/Hansard Society Political Award for 'Opposition MP of the Year'. He said:

In addition to pursuing a wide variety of local issues, I have attempted to question, probe and scrutinise the Government in the House of Commons on important national and international topics which concern people. Over the last 12 months, I have constantly pressed the case for reform of world trade rules to give the poorest people on the planet a chance to sell their products and improve their quality of life. The plight of the people of Darfur, Western Sudan, has also been a regular theme. They have suffered too much for too long with too little done about the situation. I shall go on arguing for Britain to take the lead in the international community in seeking decisive action for peace and justice.[29]

Rumours of defection

Following the defection of Conservative MP Quentin Davies to the Labour Party in June 2007, there were persistent rumours that Bercow was likely to be the next Conservative MP to leave the party.[30]

Bercow did not defect to Labour, but in September 2007, Labour prime minister Gordon Brown announced that Bercow had accepted an advisory post on the Labour government's review of support for children with speech, language and communication special needs. The Conservative Party chairman, Caroline Spelman, confirmed that this appointment was with the consent of the Conservative Party.[31] Bercow had a long-term interest in this topic, as his son Oliver has been diagnosed with autism.[32]

Bercow review

In 2008, Bercow was asked by Labour cabinet members Ed Balls and Alan Johnson to produce a substantial review of children and families affected by speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). After the report, the government pledged £52million to raise the profile of SLCN within the education field.

The review looks at the extreme consequences to which communication problems can lead; from initial frustration at not being able to express oneself, to bullying or being bullied at school, fewer job prospects and even a descent into criminality.[33][34]

The interim report highlighted a number of core issues: that speech, language and communication are not only essential life skills but fundamental human rights; that early identification of problems and intervention is important to avoid social problems later on; and that the current system of treatment is patchy, i.e. there is a need for services to be continually provided for children and families from an early age.[35][36]

Role in expenses scandal

Until 2008/09 Bercow usually claimed the maximum available amount for the 'Additional Costs Allowance' to pay for the cost of staying away from his main home. In 2007/08 and 2008/09 his total expenses were amongst the lowest claimed by MPs (coming 631st and 640th, respectively, out of 645 and 647).[citation needed]

During the 2009 expenses scandal, it was revealed that Bercow changed the designation of his second home on more than one occasion – meaning that he avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale of two properties. He also claimed just under £1,000 to hire an accountant to fill in his tax returns. Bercow denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to pay £6,508 to cover any tax that he may have had to pay to HM Revenue and Customs.[37]

It was revealed in 2014 that the House of Commons authorities had destroyed all evidence of MPs' expenses claims prior to 2010. Bercow faced accusations that he had presided over what had been dubbed a "fresh cover-up" of the expenses scandal.[38]

In July 2015, Bercow was again criticised for the amount of his expenses, including a claim of £172 for a 0.7 mile chauffeur-driven journey. Andy Silvester, campaign director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "This is an obscene waste of money and shows appalling judgment from whoever made the arrangements."[39]

Charitable work

Bercow has supported a number of charities. He is a Patron of Brain Tumour Research[40] and a Patron of the Patchwork Foundation[41] founded by Harris Bokhari. He has also spoken at and supported other charities such as the mental health charity Jami.[42] He recently supported a fundraiser for Children in Need.[43]

Speaker of the House of Commons

Election and first term

Bercow presides over the House, 2012.

Bercow had long campaigned quietly to become Speaker[44] and was touted as a successor to Michael Martin. On 20 May 2009, he officially announced his intention to stand in the Speakership election, which had been triggered by Martin's resignation, and launched his manifesto for the job.[45] In reference to his decision to stand, Bercow said: "I wanted it because I felt that there was a task to be undertaken and that's about strengthening backbench involvement and opportunity in parliament, and helping parliament get off its knees and recognise that it isn't just there as a rubber-stamping operation for the government of the day, and as necessary and appropriate to contradict and expose the government of the day."[46]

In the first round of the election on 22 June, Bercow received 179 votes – more than any other candidate, but short of the majority required for victory. In the third and final round of voting later that day, he defeated Sir George Young by 322 votes to 271,[47] and was approved by the Queen at 10 pm that night as the 157th Speaker. In accordance with convention, he rescinded his Conservative party membership.[5][48]

Bercow's election as Speaker was controversial because he is believed to have had the support of very few MPs from his former party[citation needed]. Conservative MPs generally viewed Bercow with distrust because of his changing political views (having moved over the years from being very right-wing to become more socially liberal, leading to clashes with past party leaders)[citation needed], his acceptance of an advisory role from the Labour government (a party he had often been rumoured to be on the verge of joining)[citation needed], his general lack of good relations with fellow MPs from the Conservatives[citation needed], and his vigorous campaigning for the Speaker's job[citation needed]. It has been speculated that he received the votes of as few as three of his fellow Conservative MPs[citation needed]. However, he received the votes of a large number of Labour MPs, many of whom were angered because they perceived Michael Martin had been hounded out of the job and wanted his replacement to be someone who was not a favourite of the Conservative Party.[49][50]

Bercow is the first Speaker who is Jewish,[51] the first Speaker to have been elected by an exhaustive ballot, and the first Speaker not to wear traditional court robes while presiding over the House of Commons.[52] However, in accordance with tradition, Bercow does now display his coat of arms at Speaker's House.[53]

Speaker's residence refurbishment

Within weeks of taking office as Speaker, Bercow ordered a redecoration and refurbishment of the Speaker's grace and favour apartment in the Palace of Westminster, partly with the objective of making it child-friendly; the work cost £20,659 and was paid for by Parliament. It followed previous extensive work on the apartment under the previous Speaker.[54]

2010 general election and second term

The Speaker of the House of Commons is traditionally seen as outside party politics, and is often not challenged by the main parties at general elections, including the 2010 general election. In September 2009, Nigel Farage resigned his leadership of the UK Independence Party to stand for Bercow's Buckingham seat, asserting, "This man represents all that is wrong with British politics today. He was embroiled in the expenses saga and he presides over a Parliament that virtually does nothing."[55][56]John Stevens, another candidate, found support for his campaign from the former Independent MP Martin Bell.[57] Bercow also faced opposition from the British National Party and the Christian Party.[58]

As Bercow lacked a party endorsement and therefore a campaign team, he sought to build one and a group of his supporters known as 'Friends of Speaker Bercow' solicited donations for the campaign, aiming to raise £40,000. When one of their letters was received by a member of the UK Independence Party, the recipient referred it to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, complaining that it appeared that Bercow's fundraising campaign was operating from the Speaker's Office, which is required to remain politically neutral.[59] The Commissioner declined to launch an investigation because of the lack of evidence of involvement of the Speaker's Office.[60]

Food and drink bill

Publicity was given to a bill of more than £600 for food and drink in the Palace of Westminster in April 2010, when the financial controller of the House of Commons wrote informing Bercow that there were "items which have been outstanding for at least two months" on it; it was paid later in the month. At the time, 329 MPs had run up bills averaging £419.[61]

The Speaker's Lectures

To mark the centenary of the Parliament Act 1911, Bercow commissioned a series of lectures about the main political figures of the century. The Speaker's Lectures continue with a variety of topics such as historic parliamentarians and current affairs.

2015 general election and third term

On 26 March 2015, the House of Commons defeated a government motion (introduced by former Conservative party leader and then leader of the House of Commons William Hague) to require there to be a secret ballot vote on whether Bercow remain speaker after the 2015 general election. A number of MPs described it as an underhand plot to oust Bercow, largely based on the timing of the motion just before the dissolution of Parliament, when some Labour MPs expected to oppose it had already returned to their constituencies.[63][64][65][66] In the event, Bercow was re-elected unopposed as Speaker following the general election.

On 6 February 2017, Bercow said in the house that he would be "strongly opposed" to US President Donald Trump addressing the Houses of Parliament during his planned state visit to the UK, and told MPs that "opposition to racism and sexism" were "hugely important considerations".[68] The comments proved controversial and made the headlines in many UK newspapers the following day,[69] with some such as Guardian columnist Owen Jones,[70] Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP Dennis Skinner and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron supporting this intervention.[71] However, his comments were criticised even by some opponents of Trump (such as Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi) for being hypocritical and undermining the Speaker's neutrality,[72] and some in the government reportedly felt that Bercow had overstepped his role.[71]John Whittingdale, the Conservative MP for Maldon and a former Culture Secretary, dismissed Bercow's remarks as "playing to the gallery for as much publicity as possible",[73] and Bercow himself apologised to the Lord SpeakerThe Lord Fowler over a lack of consultation over his remarks.[74]

2017 general election and fourth term

Following the 2017 general election, John Bercow was unanimously re-elected as Speaker of the House by Members of Parliament on 13 June 2017.[75]

Bullying allegations

In May 2018, Bercow's former private secretary Angus Sinclair alleged, on the BBC's Newsnight programme, that Bercow had repeatedly bullied him while at work.[76] Sinclair said that he was told to sign a non-disclosure agreement when he left his post, in order to prevent him revealing Bercow's bullying. Bercow denied the claims.[77]

Newsnight also reported that House of Commons managers were informed in 2011 that Kate Emms, Mr Sinclair's successor in that role, had been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder after less than a year working for Bercow.[78]

In October 2018, Bercow had called for an independent body to be set up to investigate allegations of harassment and bullying in Parliament, after facing calls to quit after a report said harassment had been tolerated and concealed for years which he denies.[79] On 23 October 2018, three Conservative MPs, Will Quince, Mims Davies and Anne Milton, resigned from the Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion, which is chaired by Bercow, and cited Bercow's handling of bullying and sexual harassment allegations in Parliament as the reason for doing so.[80][81][82][83]

Brexit amendment vote

In January 2019, Bercow broke with convention, allowing a vote on an amendment to a government business motion. The amendment, tabled by Dominic Grieve MP, requires the Prime Minister to table a motion within 3 days on proposed alternative plans if her Brexit deal is rejected by Parliament.[84]

Possible retirement as Speaker

On 16 October 2018, it was reported that Bercow had "told friends" that he intended to "stand down" as Speaker of the House of Commons sometime in June or July 2019.[85] This was later than he had originally intended to leave the post, saying in 2009, when he took the position, that he would leave in the summer of 2018.[86]

Notwithstanding the convention that former Speakers of the House of Commons are elevated to membership of the House of Lords when they resign, some reports from the Cabinet have suggested he might be denied a peerage by the Prime Minister due to his "lack of impartiality" and the difficulties he has caused for the government over Brexit.[87]

Personal life

Bercow married Sally Illman in 2002 and they have three children.[2] His wife used to be a Conservative, who switched to supporting the Labour Party, campaigning for both her husband individually and Labour in the wider election in 1997, though Bercow and those close to him reject the view that she was especially influential in softening his right-wing political views.[2][88]